Message Flash Alert description

[Open source app]
This tiny app will turn on the screen, based on a setting, when a message is received (SMS & MMS) and flash a bright screen light or flashlight beam once, to give a strong visual clue of the event.

This behavior is similar to behavior of some older Sony Ericsson phones. The effect is so simple yet powerful, we believe every phone should function this way.

It is useful in normal day to day situations, and particularly in quiet and dark environments, even when the phone is out of direct sight.

For example, short burst of light won't wake you up if you are asleep. But you will perceive it while resting in the dark room, even with your eyelids closed. Also useful to people with hearing impairment.

App function can be: Disabled by preference, enabled to glow from the screen or the flashlight independently, glow from the screen only when it is turned off and/or not obscured, or to glow from either source of light every time a message arrives.

Glow duration can also be customized in the range from 0.1 to 5.0 seconds.

Screen remains turned on for default system timeout after the glow. This way you can read the statusbar ticker and learn the sender and contents of the message even without grabing your phone.

It is one of those set-it-and-forget-it types of application, you will begin to think it's part of the Android OS. You set it up the first time (optionally) and it will just quietly do its job, no more and no less.

App size is only 155 kB, and it uses no system resources whatsoever. No Ads are displayed, and no network access permission.

We have open-sourced this app. You can find the source files at: http://github.com/Sublimis/GlowMyMind